This book is written primarily for young teens
(ages 13 to 16). It can, however, be enjoyed by anyone
from 13 to 113 who has an interest in science -
especially if they have never given astronomy or
cosmology much thought. Informally presented in an
entertaining and chatty style, the book teaches some of
the basic science and associated math (dead simple
algebra) that astronomers work with - but more
importantly - it shows how these geeky scientists
actually use this stuff to figure out what's going on in
the universe. For example, you will learn: (1) Not just
what chemical elements reside in the sun (some 150
million kilometers from the nearest chemistry lab), but
how astronomers figure it out. (2) Not just how far away
a remote galaxy is, but how astronomers determine that
distance. (3) Not just how fast a galaxy is moving
toward or away from us, but how astronomers calculate
that velocity. (4) Not just how old the universe is, but
how astronomers arrive at that figure. And guess what!
None of this learning is nearly as scary as it sounds.
It's a lot easier than rocket science and a lot more fun
than what goes on in most classrooms. You will also
learn just how much astronomers and cosmologists still
do NOT know about the universe. They figure that a
whopping 96 percent of it is made up of dark matter and
dark energy, but they don't have a clue what this dark
stuff really is. How cool is that? This situation is
downright embarrassing, so it's always a neat topic to
bring up at any party where cosmologists are present.
(You do go to such parties, right?) Talk about future
job opportunities in science for young minds!
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